The Ballad of Amphitrite Part 23
"Isle of Aeaea, it seems destiny"
"That you are to be my forever home"
"Though every day, you feel more like a prison"
"A prison, where I reside alone."
She continued to sing, occasionally peeking out of her hood to look at the others in the room. They all watched her with bated breath, never taking their eyes off her as her voice filled the air.
The longer the song went on, the more she felt herself relaxing into the flow of it. If she were to perform anything before a god, at least it was something that comforted her. She finished the last line of the song, holding the finale high note like George had taught her to.
"The time has come to see what lies beyond"
Her fellow singers began to clap. They all fell silent as a louder, more pronounced clap came from above. A splash accompanied each clap, and Amphitrite jumped a little when what felt like light rain dripped onto her.
She couldn't help it. She snuck a glance upward.
There he was. The imposing form that had once towered over the Kronessa. Long, straight black curtains of hair fell and draped around the ceiling's opening. His face wasā¦ it wasn't emotionless or stoic, maybe even glowering as she'd expected. He wasn't smiling, but he wasn't frowning either. His mouth just seemed to hang open slightly, and his eyes were almost in a dazed state.
With each clap, his normal hand slapped against the watery surface of his fake one, sending a sprinkling of water droplets down upon them. It wasā¦ a bit unnerving, seeing the armed-shaped water undulate and ripple while still maintaining its form.
"Thank you! Thank you!" gushed George, "You're too kind."
Amphitrite rolled her eyes, shaking loose the water droplets clinging to her robes.
"Alright," continued George, raising his hands to guide his singers, "Pyrrus, 'To Be A Man Like Me'"
As the man playing Pyrrus hurried forward, looking eager to prove himself, she hurried over to the rest of the actors. They eyed her wearily before turning their attention to Pyrrus. The man stood tall, smiling expectantly at George.
The music began: a snappy, regal tune.
"With the ladder of life having been strung, my and my blood are on the topmost rung."
"But to stay up on high, is-"
"Stop," blurted Poseidon. The music halted. Pyrrus fell silent. George spun around, gazing up at the god.
"Is something the matter?"
"What song is the next song that she is a part of?"
Amphitrite stiffened, instinctively looking up. She instantly regretted it, making eye contact with the god, which she quickly broke. What in the world does he-
"D'uhā¦ that would be 'Something New'."
"Play that one," he demanded.
George looked perplexed, "Butā¦ but this song introduces the character of Pyrrus. I think you'd be missing a bit of the story-"
"I got it!" Apollo ran into the room, clutching a roll of bandages and a jar containing a pinkish sludge. In the blink of an eye, he leaped into the air. By the time he landed next to Poseidon, he was back to his god-like height.
Amphitrite shook her head, her mind struggling to catch up with what she saw. How does heā¦ never mind.
Apollo held the now minuscule container between pinched fingers and carefully unscrewed the lid. "This should ease any discomfort," he assured, gesturing for Poseidon to give him his hand.
Poseidon sighed, giving him his hand with his attention still on the people below, "Continue withā¦ whatever song she's a part of next."
George bowed his head, "V-very well. Amphitrite, get back over here." He turned to Pyrrus, giving him a pat on the shoulder, "We'llā¦ work on your song later."
Pyrrus stared back at him, eyes wide and desperate, "But-"
The young blonde's cheeks flushed, and his eyes glossed over with water. He slowly turned, head hung, and trudged towards the rest of the actors.
"Amphitrite?" George beckoned her.
She stared at Pyrrus' crestfallen face, unable to take her eyes off him. His lips trembled, and he kept frantically blinking back tears.
She knew that look all too well. She wore it many times growing up. It was the look of someone whose excitement to please was snuffed outā¦ a look of their failure setting in.
"Amphitrite?" called George. She turned her pensive gaze to him. He was growing visibly more nervous. Her eyes shifted upwards, where they focused on Poseidon. He didn't even bother to look at them, too preoccupied with the tiny little scratch on his hand. Her eyes hardened, casting him a sharp glare he didn't even notice.
It was only after several more seconds of complete silence that he gave the humans below an annoyed look, "Well?"
George backed away, sending a pleading look Amphitrite's way, "Ms. Amphitrite. Would you pleaseā¦"
He trailed off as she started forward, a short-lived relief washing over him. She set her sights on Pyrrus, having stopped in his walk of shame to listen to the exchange. His eyes widened when he noticed her approaching him.
Amphitrite stopped. He backed a step away, his red and puffy eyes darting across her form. In one swift movement, she closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him.
He stumbled, tensing as she embraced him. Then, he stilledā¦ and then broke. The man fell into her arms, his head falling onto her shoulder as he sniffled. She pulled him close, holding the back of his head and pressing it to her.
"Don't listen to him," she whispered, a choked hiccup issuing from the man, "Your voice is beautiful."
She ran her fingers through his hair. His arms snaked around her waist, and he hugged her back, his shaking subsiding.
Her glare returned at the sound of Poseidon's annoyed voice.
She broke away from Pyrrus and rounded on the god. Her resolve wavered a little at the sight of him, but she took a deep breath and stood her ground with her scathing look, "If you cannot appreciate his voice, then you are undeserving of mine."
Poseidon's eyes widened, his mouth ajar. Before he could form another word, she turned her back on him and approached George. She snatched up his hand and gave it a shake.
"Thank you. I am honored that you think I am the right person to sing your songs, but I refuse to perform for an audience such as this." She patted his hand. "Good day to you."
With that, she hurried over to hold the still distraught Pyrrus and led him towards the nearest exit alongside her.
She led him down the hall, holding him up with her shoulder. Pyrrus continued to sniffle into it. Amphitrite held the door open for him as they reached the end and ushered him inside. To her relief, the room was empty. There was nothing but a few marble benches and pots of hyacinth. She led the wilting man to one of the benches and sat him down.
What was she supposed to say now? What did he want to hear? She'd already told him his voice sounded lovely and to not listen to that-
A bellowing roar tore through the air, barely muffled by the walls. She slapped her hands over her ears, wincing. Her heart skipped a beat, a wave of white-hot panic washing over herā¦ then it morphed into white-hot indignation.
She scoffed. Great, now he's throwing a tantrum because he didn't get what he wanted. Her brow furrowed, glancing between Pyrrus and the door. Her eyes widened, Apollo's words echoing in her head: "The best thing a mortal can do is to keep him happy"
Amphitrite's stomach sank. The othersā¦ George and the othersā¦ what if that brute-!
The door flew open and in tumbled none other than George along with the rest of the actors. The girl singing for Circe slammed the door and held it close, pressing her ear to it to listen.
George's body folded, bracing himself on his knees and gasping to catch his breath. "Whatā¦ isā¦ the matter with you!?" He glared up at her.
"Are you trying to get us all killed?!" snapped their Circe.
"I'm sorry for putting you guys in danger," said Amphitrite, "But it's not my fault that he was being a-"
George lunged at her, slapping a hand over her mouth. "Shut- shut up!" he looked frantically all around them, "Don't let him hear you."
She wrenched his hand away and held it down. "I said I'm sorry," she whispered, "But how could you just stand there and let him talk to people like that?"
"Because he's a god, you idiot," hissed the girl holding the door, finally calming down enough to step away from it, "If it weren't for that cyclops, you'd be apologizing to a bunch of corpses!"
Amphitrite's heart just about stopped. Her gaze slowly shifted to the girl. "What?"
She groaned, "That cyclops that has, for some reason, been staying here the last-"
The girl yelped as Amphitrite shot towards her. She ducked out of the way, leaving the door unguarded. Amphitrite threw it open, and in the blink of an eye, she was dashing down the hall.
The door slammed far behind her. She didn't care. Her heart hammered in her chest, and her mind raced alongside it. Tymenio. He was in danger. He was in danger, and yet she was still running so slow!
Her vision tunneled, focused upon the exit to the temple.
By the sounds of what the girl had said, Poseidon had already seen him. Oh, what is he going to do? Especially when in a foul mood? What if he hurts him? What if he really hurts him?! What if he kills him?!
She had to get him away. Get him to run, distract the angry god, do something to-
Amphitrite skidded to a halt just in time to avoid toppling down the temple's steps. She whipped her head around, eyes instantly landing on two colossal figures that made the hillside temple look like a miniature model. Thankfully, they had their backs to her.
"Now what are you doing here, little guy?"
Poseidon, hunched over, his face inches from Tymenio's. His full attention was on the poor cyclops, and Tymenio had nowhere to run. The God had him stuck between the temple and himself.
Poseidonā¦ smiled? Wait, he was able to do that? "This is no place for a cyclops," he chuckled. "Are you lost?"
Amphitrite hurried down the stone steps, never taking her eyes off the two of them. "Get away from that monster!" she cried.
Tymenio turned his head. She grimaced. No! Don't take your eyes off him! Run!
The cyclops broke into a grin upon seeing her and fully turned his body to go to her. To her horror, Poseidon placed his hands on his shoulder and stopped him. Amphitrite peered up at his face, her insides sinking.
He was staring at herā¦ no, he was glaring at her.
The ground shook as he marched forward.
Amphitrite's eyes widened. His looming form filled more and more of her vision, and his shadow swallowed her into it. She backed away, goosebumps tingling her skin.
A thought came to mind. A memory of a near-identical situation. On the Kronessaā¦ Atticus. Atticus and the wrathful god holding his ship captive. Atticusā¦ he hadn't cowered; I didn't back down in fear. He stood firm. He held his ground and didn't let anyone get the better of him.
She stopped, planting her feet on the trembling ground and scrunched up her face into an unfazed determination she had observed from Atticus. She looked up and glared back at Poseidon.
I will not be petrified into obedience like everyone else.
Her resolve faltered when the towering figure stopped. She took a small step back, craning her neck to the point of it hurting to keep looking him in the eye.
Without warning, the living mountain over her doubled over. His fist slammed into the stone steps. They crumbled, sending bits of rock every which way. Amphitrite gasped, scrambling away and shielding herself from the debris.
"Who do you think you are?" he growled.
Amphitrite opened her eyes, freezing under his seething gaze. He raised his other, fake arm. The water shook and suddenly split. Half a dozen watery, vicious tentacles took shape, writhing and trembling with anticipation.
"Do you have any idea who you're- AH!"
His head reared back, the black hairs on his head pulled taut. He roared in pain.
Her heart leapt in horror as Poseidon batted behind his head, and a familiar face appeared over his shoulder. Tymenio, with one fist full of hair, lunged out with his other hand and grabbed one of the god's braids.
He screwed up his face and pulled.
Poseidon bellowed in agony and haphazardly fell back. The ground shuddered as he collapsed. Amphitrite yelped as the force knocked her off her feet, and she fell onto the grass.
The earth continued to quake. Poseidon thrashed as Tymenio tried with all his might to drag him away by the hair. The fake arm, now a mess of tentacles, flailed and slashed through the air while his other arm held onto the base of his scalp.
"Tymenio no!" she cried, her voice barely audible over the god's shouting.
"Stop it!" called Apollo, unseen through the chaos, "Stop it before-"
Poseidon reached his fake arm behind his head, and the tentacles whipped at Tymenio, striking him squarely in the eye.
The cyclops screamed, letting go and slamming his hands over his eye. He scrambled away from the god and collapsed against the hillside.
Amphitrite's chest tightened, white-hot panic filling her to the brim. She shot up and ran, her feet barely touching the ground as she sprinted towards him.
Tymenio lay against the hillside, feverishly rubbing his eye. She scaled the grassy slope in a heartbeat and knelt right beside his head.
"Ty," she pressed her hand against his damp cheek, "Are you alright?"
He shook his head, burying his fists into his eye. Amphitrite stood up and grabbed one of his hands.
"Stop rubbing. You'll irritate it even more."
Tymenio's rubbing stopped and lowered his hands, revealing his red and puffy eye. He winced at her, "But it stings."
She rubbed the side of his face slowly, her other hand holding up his chin. "I know, I know. Just close your eye, okay?"
His eye fluttered shut, and he grimaced, one of his hands moving to rub at it. Amphitrite reached for it, but the sky darkening overhead made her freeze. She whipped her head around and looked up. Her stomach lurched.
Poseidon stood over them, on his feet and staring down at the scene in bewilderment. The tentacles shuddered and congealed back into the shape of an arm.
Amphitrite's blood boiled at the sight of him. Her gaze turned icy as she shot a scathing look his way, "How dare you."
He blinked, stupidly gaping at her.
"How dare you!" she scolded. Tymenio made a sound, drawing her closer. She pressed into the side of his face, holding him while she glared up at the god, "First you come here and demand a performance you have no right asking for or deserve to hear, and then bring one of the actors to tears. Now you do this!?"
Poseidon's eyebrows shot, and his words stumbled out of his mouth, "I-I-I didn't meanā¦ he justā¦ w-what else was I-"
"Now, let's all just calm down," Apollo stepped in. Where was he during all of this? Why'd he stay put?! "It was an accident and- and no one got hurt."
"R-right," said Poseidon. Amphitrite gaped at him. Calm down? How is she the one who needs to calm down?! She wasn't the one who threw a fit over not getting what he wanted. She tensed as he stepped forward, addressing Tymenio, "I swear, I didn't mean to-"
"Stay back!" she shouted. Poseidon recoiled, eyes wider than ever. "Go away! Just go and leave us be!"
The god froze, his expression falling. Amphitrite braced for his anger to reappear, expecting him to lash out.
Poseidon gulped, eyes darting between the two of them.
He turned, and then he walked off without another word.
